Whether hot South African alt-rockers KONGOS – they of the hit song “Come With Me Now” -- will have a long career is, at this point, anyone’s guess.

But the quartet of brothers put on a beat-heavy show at Bethlehem’s Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center that certainly left open that possibility, and was fun in the meantime.

KONGOS rock Bethlehem's Musikfest Cafe

The 85-minute show was all about the beat. The group’s16 songs were nearly all thumping and drum-heavy rock. That’s not a criticism: It’s a good and distinctive musical style and one not heard enough recently in an era when electronics often rule.

The sound started with the opening “Hey I Know,” the first of 10 songs the band played from its 12-song debut album “Lunatic,” released in the United States in February. The drums were almost tribal, and continued on “Sex On the Radio,” though by adding slide guitar to the former and accordion to the latter, the group showed it has more tricks in its bag than a heavy beat.

With rapper Mo Gordon

“Kids These Days” was like a drunken pub song, sometimes cacophonous and pounding to a finish.

KONGOS changed it up with the slower “Take Me Back,” which had harmonized vocals over accordion, and “Escape,” the group’s 2012 minor hit, was one of the best of the night, with drummer Jesse Kongos’s lighter, more expressive vocals. The beat still was prominent, but more driving than thumping.

As it did on many songs, the crowd of 818 took up the beat by clapping along.

“I Want to Know” was funky reggae, and also very good was “This Time I Won’t Forget,” slow and vaguely Celtic with its humming accordion and funeral-march drums.

The band added rapper Mo Gordon on an energetic “I’m Only Joking,” the group’s breakthrough 2011 alternative hit. The song had more energy than most others, as all the band members jumped, and the crowd jumped with them.

Two new songs showed some growth. “I Don’t Mind” was a thumper with lyrical delivery like Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” only darker, with an organ solo. And “Take It From Me” was big and beat-y with yelping, chirpy vocals that were catchy.

But it was on two covers that the band sounded most promising.

Tom Waits’ “Way Down in the Hole” was, by turns, bluesy and jazzy, starting with an instrumental section that lasted a full three minutes. Then hip-hop as Gordon came back to rap and the band added a strong guitar riff and wild drumming. It seemed as if the group finally really let go.

And Gordon returned for impressively speedy raps on an interesting update of The Beatles’ “Come Together” that had percolating tension.

KONGOS closed with “It’s a Good Life,” which also was chant-y, but also far more poppy and fun – an element that such a young band should have far more of.

Of course, it closed the main set with “Come With Me Now.” It’s a wicked good song, and the band played it for all it’s worth, with bassist/singer Dylan Kongos whipping his hair around. But the band missed the opportunity to extend that fun by closing down the song after barely four minutes.

But it continued the energy on the encore, starting with a cover of “Tokoloshe Man,” a 1971 U.K. hit for the band members’ father , John Kongos. It had the big beat, but big guitars to match it, as well.

And then the band rocked out with a credible cover of another Beatles tune, “Get Back.” They played with a lot of energy and excitement – the guitar scrubbing, drums wailing and organ swirling.

If it can find that type of energy for an entire performance and for new songs, KONGOS may, indeed, have a longer career. If not, Sunday was at least fun.

This show was fantastic, and may be one of the last times you can see this band in such an intimate space. The band stayed after the show to take photos with fans, and sign autographs. Kongos fans were in for a huge treat.

Posted By: abby | Aug 18, 2014 9:38:30 AM

I was extremely surprised by KONGOS. I was not expecting much outside of their singles, but they brought an awesome stage presence and really seemed to enjoy rocking out. Mo Gordon was an awesome addition to their set. Overall, it was a fantastic show at the Musikfest Cafe.

Very satisfied with KONGOS performance last night. There was not one song I didn't like and really enjoyed the pace of music. Hope that they come back in the future.

Posted By: ENikles | Aug 18, 2014 11:14:42 AM

Wow, what a great show. These guys are HIGH energy. Great vocals, a driving rhythm section and skilled musicianship made for a great evening. The next time these guys play locally there will be 5,000 people at the show. They are going places.

Posted By: markt | Aug 18, 2014 5:22:06 PM

This is the 4th time I have seen Kongos this year and they were FANTASTIC!!! This was the smallest venue where I saw them. The show was high energy and lots of fun. They signed autographs, talked to fans and posed for pictures long after a really great show. I look forward to seeing them again at the Made in America fest next week. Kongos are a really great band.

Posted By: Slymoma | Aug 20, 2014 9:16:12 PM

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JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.